About the List
Below is a list of all the characters in Long Division by Kiese Laymon. The list is free of analysis, but not 100% spoiler free. Characters are listed in the order that they appear. I make note of their first mention in the text, plus any monikers or nicknames they go by (with page numbers).
City’s Story Has Over 80 people In It
Long Division has an immense cast of characters. The list you’re about to peruse is over 80 characters long! That’s right, 80! Making this list changed my sense of the book’s scope.
An Important Book Quote
Now that you know City is connected to over 80 people, reread this quote:
“People always say change takes time. It’s true, but really it’s people who change people, and then those people have to decide if they really want to stay the new people that they’re changed into.”
26. SNCC’s Notes on Teaching in Mississippi… p 261
A part of me, from now on, will describe this novel as a story about City and his 80+ connections, big and small, with other people—people who change people.
The List
1. LaVander Peeler
First appearance is in 1. One Sentence. p 1.
aka Lavender or Fade Don’t Fade | 1. One Sentence. p 4
aka LaVander K. Peeler | 3. Chitlin City. p 27
aka LaBander Veeler | 4. Words, Word, Work. p 34
2. Toni Whitaker
First appearance is in 1. One Sentence. p 4.
aka one of City’s “Jackson confidants” | 4. Words, Word, Work. p 36
3. Jimmy Wallace
First appearance is in 1. One Sentence. p 4.
aka one of City’s “Jackson confidants” | 4. Words, Word, Work. p 36
4. City
aka The White Homeless Fat Homosexual | 1. One Sentence. p 3
aka Citoyen | 2. All Clean. p 14
aka Citoyen Coldson | 4. Words, Word, Work. p 33
aka Wide Load | 8. MyMy, Coach Stroud, and Sooo Sad. p 66
aka Sho-gun of Jackson | 10. Tender by Testicles. p 99
aka Little Citizen | 12. Common to Man. p 108
aka Little City | 12. Common to Man. p 111
aka Li’l City | 12. Common to Man. p 113
aka Megatroneezy | 14. And a Way. p 121
aka Voltron | 22. Baize… p 187
aka T-Ron | 22. Baize… p 187
aka Voltron Bailey | 24. Eyes have It…. p 245
5. Principal Reeves
First appearance is in 1. One Sentence. p 3
aka Ms. Lara Reeves | 1. One Sentence. p 12
aka Ms. Kanye | 2. All Clean. p 14
aka Ms. Reeves | 5. Click That. p 39
6. Octavia Whittington
aka one of City’s “Jackson confidants” | 4. Words, Word, Work. p 36
7. “Sergio”
“After the second quarter, it made most of us respect their Mexican struggle, but it didn’t do much for helping us really distinguish names from faces. We still call all five of the boys “Sergio” at least twice a quarter. LaVander Peeler says being racist is fun.
It kinda is.”
1. One Sentence. p 6
8. Grandma
First appearance is in 1. One Sentence. p 8.
aka Sister Coldson | 5. Click That. p 38
9. Uncle Relle
First appearance is in 1. One Sentence. p 8.
aka Relle| 3. Chitlin City. p 58
aka Brother Relle | 17. Saved Safe. p 133
10. LaVander Peeler’s Mom (deceased)
First mentioned in 1. One Sentence. p 9.
11. Kwame
First mention is in 1. One Sentence. p 9.
He is LaVander Peeler’s incarcerated brother.
12. Mama
City’s mom first mentioned in 1. Once Sentence. p 10.
13. Brenda Travis
Mentioned in Ch 2. All Clean, p 16. Her story is not fictional.
“Brenda Travis was a fifteen-year-old high school student from right up the road in McComb,” Principal Reeves said. “That young lady canvassed these same streets with the SNCC voter-registration workers fifty years ago. She led students like you on a sit-in and for the crime of ordering a hamburger from a white restaurant, the girl was sentenced to a year in the state juvenile prison.”
14. LaVander Peeler Sr.
First mentioned in 2. All Clean. p 20.
15. Shalaya Crump
First mentioned as “someone with the last name ‘Crump’” in 3. Chitlin City. p 23.
aka ‘Laya | 23. Quarter Black…p 210
aka Shalayer Crump | 23. Quarter Black…p 211
aka Shalaya Crump-Coldson | 27. Kindly Pause…p 270
aka SC (initials on locket) | 27. Kindly Pause…p 271
16. Baize Shephard
First mentioned in 3. Chitlin City. p 23.
aka the Baddest Baize in Mississippi | 24. Eyes have It… p 247
17. “Cindy”
First mentioned in 3. Chitlin City. p 24
18. “a big-eyed hog named Charles”
First mentioned in 3. Chitlin City. p 26 and then 5. Click That. p 42-43.
19. “Katrina’s Finest”
First mentioned in 3. Chitlin City. p 29 as “two white boy twins from Louisiana,” then as “Katrina’s Finest” in 5. Click That. p 44.
aka Patrick | Click That. p 39
20. Jesse Cruz
First mentioned in 4. Words, Word, Work. p 32.
21. Stephanie Cruz
First mentioned in 4. Words, Word, Work. p 32.
22. Jannay
Only mentioned once as one of City’s “Jackson confidants” | 4. Words, Word, Work. p 36.
23. Kincaid
First mentioned as one of City’s “country ——–” | 4. Words, Word, Work. p 36
aka one of City’s “three Melahatchie friends” | 8. MyMy, Coach Stroud, and Sooo Sad. p 63.
24. Shay
First mentioned as one of City’s “country ——–” | 4. Words, Word, Work. p 36
aka one of City’s “three Melahatchie friends” | 8. MyMy, Coach Stroud, and Sooo Sad. p 63.
25. MyMy
First mentioned as one of City’s “country ——–” | 4. Words, Word, Work. p 36
aka one of City’s “three Melahatchie friends” | 8. MyMy, Coach Stroud, and Sooo Sad. p 63.
26. Stephanie Cruz’s Grandma
Only mention is in 5. Click That. p 43.
27. Sleepy Eyes
First mentioned in 5. Click That. p 46.
aka V | 5. Click That. p 47
28. Stretch Marks
First mentioned in 5. Click That. p 47
29-31. “three white boys who looked like they were in college”
First mentioned in 5. Click That. p 48
including one named “The Ronster” | 5. Click That. p 48
32. “Louise Ellsington”
First mentioned in 6. Thicccc Parts. p 53
33. Tom Henry
First mentioned in 6. Thicccc Parts. p 54.
aka granddaddy | 6. Thicccc Parts. p 54.
34. Cherry
First mentioned in 6. Thicccc Parts. p 55.
35. Shank
First mentioned in 6. Thicccc Parts. p 55.
36. Coach Stroud
First mentioned in 8. MyMy, Coach Stroud, and Sooo Sad. p 66
37. Sooo Sad
First mentioned in 8. MyMy, Coach Stroud, and Sooo Sad. p 72.
38-41. “mean white men” in green trucks
First mentioned in 8. MyMy, Coach Stroud, and Sooo Sad. p 65.
aka “four men” | 8. MyMy, Coach Stroud, and Sooo Sad. p 71
This group includes “this man” aka “round-faced white boy”
42. Ufa D
First mentioned in 9. Boom Boom Boom. p 80.
aka Ufa
I think this name might be a sports reference/joke with Ufa standing for Unrestricted Free Agent, since Ufa D is not tied down to one lover.
43. Alcee Mayes
First mentioned in 9. Boom Boom Boom. p 88.
aka Shay’s brother | 10. Tender be Testicles. p 96
aka Uncle Relle’s weed man | 10. Tender be Testicles. p 96
44. Reverend Cherry
City’s grandmas’s preacher is First mentioned in 10. Tender be Testicles. p 98
aka Cherry | 12. Common to Man. p 109
45. Deacon Big Shank
City’s grandmas’s preacher is First mentioned in 10. Tender be Testicles. p 98
aka Deacon Shank | 12. Common to Man. p 108
46. “the new white teacher from Biloxi”
Only mentioned in 10. Tender be Testicles. p 100.
47. black birds
First mentioned in 12. Common to Man. p 109, again in 22. Baize…p 184, 24. Eyes have It…p 221, 26. SNCC’s Notes on Teaching in in Mississippi…p 257, and 29. Passing Tests…p 291.
Note: These birds are a constant in the church, community center, and civil rights museum, which are all in the same spot in difference time periods.
48. Lily Mae
First mentioned in 12. Common to Man. p 109.
49. Troll
First mentioned in 12. Common to Man. p 109.
aka Mama Troll | 16. Cancellation Policy. p 129
50. Ren
(grandson of Deacon Harper)
First mentioned in 12. Common to Man. p 114
51. Raygord
(grandson of Deacon Harper)
First mentioned in 12. Common to Man. p 114
52. Deacon Harper
First mentioned in 12. Common to Man. p 114
53. Ralph
(City’s grandaddy’s son)
First mentioned in 16. Cancellation Policy. p 130.
53. Ms. Kyla Pace
(Ralph’s mom)
First mentioned in 16. Cancellation Policy. p 130.
54. “funny-looking oldhead”
First mentioned in 17. Saved Safe. p 138.
aka “that older joker” | 17. Saved Safe. p 138.
55. Principal Jankins
First mentioned in 21. Special Game…p 166.
56. Ms. Dawsin-Jankins
First mentioned in 21. Special Game…p 166.
57. Mama Lara
City’s grandma first mentioned in 21. Special Game…p 166.
58. Jewish Evan Altshuler
First mentioned in 21. Special Game…p 167.
aka Evan Altshuler | 23. Quarter Black…p 201
aka Evan | 23. Quarter Black…p 203
aka the smaller Klansman | 27. Kindly Pause…p 274
aka Ev | 28. Considered Things…p 277
59. Lerthon Coldson
Mama Lara’s husband is first mentioned in 22. Baize…p 173
aka Lerthon | 26. SNCC’s Notes on Teacher in Mississippi….p 259
aka Thon | 26. SNCC’s Notes on Teacher in Mississippi….p 259
60. Shalaya Crumps grandaddy
First mentioned in 22. Baize…p 173.
61. The Shephard Witch
First mentioned in 22. Baize…p 176
62. Ms. Shivers
A bad honors English teacher, first mentioned in 22. Baize…p 196.
63. Ms. Arnold
A bad honors English teacher, first mentioned in 22. Baize…p 196.
64. Parker Vincent
First mentioned in 23. Quarter Black… p 204.
65. Uncle Zachariah
First mentioned in 23. Quarter Black… p 208
66. Red Naval (the talking black cat)
First mentioned in 23. Quarter Black… p 217.
67. The Dobermans
First mentioned in 23. Quarter Black… p 217.
68-71. “three people covered in sheets” + one
Mentioned in 24. Eyes have It… p 221
72. Coach Foots
City’s football coach only mentioned in 24. Eyes have It… p 223
73. Damien Frazier
Only mentioned in 24. Eyes have It… p 231
74. Baize’s Brother
His disappearance is mentioned in 24. Eyes have It… p 233.
75. Gaddis
First mentioned in 24. Eyes have It… p 233.
Next in 26. SNCC’s Notes on Teaching in Mississippi…. p 258 and 265; 28. Considered Things…p 277.
76. Oscar
Only mentioned in 24. Eyes have It… p 243
77. Cynthia
Only mentioned in 24. Eyes have It… p 244
78. Rozier
Mentioned in 24. Eyes have It… p 250.
79. the “slim, light-skinned lady” in the Freedom School
First mentioned in 24. Eyes have It… p 253
80. Charlie Cobb
Mentioned in 25. Yes, Indeedy… p 255.
Note: Like Brenda Travis, Charlie Cobb is a real life SNCC activist who proposed the Freedom School projects in Mississippi.
81. Brianna Gaddis
Mentioned in 26. SNCC’s Notes on Teaching in Mississippi…. p 258
82. “the bigger Klansman”
First mentioned in 27. Kindly Pause… p 272
aka Evan Alshuler’s brother | 28. Considered Things… p 276
Extra: Culture, Music, and Political Figures
The story is peppered with references and indirect allusions to figures in popular culture. Michael Jackson and President Obama get more than one mention.
Annotate With Sara 